British Gr 1 Winning Speed Horse Crusade(USA) To KZN For 2013

British Gr 1 Winning Speed Horse Crusade(USA) To KZN For 2013

The KZN Breeders have secured an exciting addition to our stallion ranks, Group 1 winning Crusade(USA) from Coolmore – a 2009 colt by Mr Greeley(USA) out of La Traviata(USA) by Johannesburg(USA). Crusade has entered quarantine in the UK, in preparation for his arrival to South Africa, where he will stand at Robin and Joyce Scott’s Highdown Stud in Nottingham Road.

Fitting the criteria laid out by the KZN Breeders Stallion Committee, a European Gr 1 sprinter miler by Sire-Of-Sires Mr Greeley(USA), Crusade had six starts in England, winning twice and placing once. His win in the Gr 1 Middle Park Stakes saw him defeating a strong field of horses that included four Group 2 winners, including Capar Netscher who is a three time Gr 2 winner.

Past Middle Park Stakes winners include some outstanding individuals, such as Known Fact, Diesis, Minardi, his own broodmare sire, Johannesburg, Oasis Dream, leading Freshman sire Dutch Art and Dark Angel.

Out of those horses, Crusade ran the second fastest time of 1:10.75 behind Oasis Dream who won the race in 2002 in a time of 1:09.61. Crusade also competed in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, but was badly interfered with and finished fifth subsequently.

Mr Greeley(USA), himself by Gone West out of Long Legend by Reviewer(USA), has produced 14 Group 1 winners at stud in both America and Europe and almost 60 Stakes winners – in 2008 he stood for a fee of $125,000. Unfortunately for Mr Greeley who stood at Gainesway, he succumbed to Laminitis in 2010 at the age of 18. A Sire-Of-Sires, he has produced the likes of El Corredor, Greeley’s Galaxy, Horse Greeley and Belgravia, as well as Whywhywhy – the sire of Gr 2 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf winner Nownownow in 2007.

Crusade’s dam is La Traviata, herself by Johannesburg(USA) out of Piedras Negras by Unbridled(USA), in turn out of a Devil’s Bag(USA) mare. La Traviata won three races at three years old in America including the Gr 3 Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga and the Post Deb Stakes at Monmouth Park. She is a very young broodmare (a 2004 foal), the dam of two runners of which both are Group horses – the first being Crusade and second being Cristoforo Colombo(USA), by Henrythenavigator. Cristoforo Colombo has run second in the Railway Stakes Gr 2, third in the Coventry Stakes Gr 2 and fourth in the Middle Park Stakes Gr 1, all over distances of 1200m.

Anton Proctor, who had been to view the colt at Coolmore and is particularly excited with the stallion’s prospects, described Crusade as, “A handsome horse, well-balanced and athletic. He has a good head, a good eye, and a lovely disposition – very nice natured and easy to work with. He is a correct, athletic walker with a very good speed pedigree,” and pointed out that Crusade could be matched to almost any mare.

“Crusade is a speed horse with a speed pedigree,” says Robin Scott of Highdown Stud, a highly respected breeder who has been in the business for almost 46 years and knows his stallions – standing the likes of Foveros, amongst many other sires who have had a profound influence on breeding in South Africa.

KZN Breeders Chairman, Koos de Klerk was very happy with the expression of interest from the breeders with the bulk of shares already sold for Crusade.

Stuart Crawford of Greenhill Farm who has played an integral part in acquiring the stallion: “I would like to thank everyone for supporting The KZN Breeders Club in purchasing Crusade, and we look forward to reaping the rewards.” For more information contact Stuart Crawford at greenhill@mweb.co.za.

The KZN Breeders Association would like to thank Coolmore Stud and Gold Circle for their support. We look forward to the future progeny of Crusade in Kwa-Zulu Natal.